Baseball



Patented Aug. 18, 1925.

UNITED .STATES 1,550,642 PATENT oFFlcE.

PHILIP B. `BEKIELALRL, OI? SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGrNOR` TO GEORGE A.

I REACH, OF IHILADELIHIA,PENNSYLVANIA.

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Application 1ed January 7, 1924., Serial No. 684,775.

To all who-m t may conce-rn:

Be it known that I, PHILIPBpBEnEART, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and al residentV of thek city and oountyof SanFran cisco, State of California, have made a new and useful invention,to wit, Improvements in Baseballsgand I do hereby declare ythe following to be a full, clear, concise, and eX-y act description'of th-e same.

i0 This invention relates particularly to base balls.

An object of the invention is to p-rovide a base ball having a center formed of rubber or Vother material, or combination of materials ,in sections which is so constructed that the ball will not becomeflattened or cracked after being batted. y

. A further object of the invention is to provide a spherical center, for base balls composed of a. plurality of complementary7 sections, formed of solid rubber, or of a. combination of rubber.l and other material around which the ball is constructed to a desired diameter by winding thread tightly thereon and enclosing the assembly within an outer cover.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a sectional, spherical base ball center formed of rubber or cork or other suitable Vresilient materials aro-und which the layers of yarn may be woimd to form a ball which will retain perfect spherical shape, and which will not become flattened, cracked or eccentric after having been played with.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a base ball which will be superior in point of simplicity, inexpensiveness of con- CAJ struction, positiveness of operation, facility v and convenience in use and general efliciency. Other objects' and advantages will appear as this description progresses.

In this specification and the annexed drawings, the invention is illustrated in the form considered tobe the best, but it i-s to be understood that the invention is not limited to such form, because it may be em-v bodied in other forms, and it is also to be understood that in and by the claims fol- Y. "o lowing the description, it is desired to cover the invention in whatsoever form it may be embodied. V

In the accompanying one-sheet of drawr ings. 05 Fig.A l iS all enlarged sectional view `through a base ball constructed in accordance vvwithmy invention. l

Fig. 2 is an elevation ofthe second centershown in Fig. l. Y' Y p v y Fig. 3 ,is an elevation of Fig. 2 showing the sections in ,a separated position. Y Fig. 4 is a modified form of a section centerball. l v l Fig; 5 is a separated view of the ball shown in Fig. 4. Y V- 1 v Y Fig. .Gis1 a further modified form of a sectional ball'center.

e Fig. y7 is a still furthermodiied form of ballV center. Y Y

Ball centers may be formed of solid rubf ber or with a skin coating of rubber moulded around a center of other material, or as an alternative method arubber coating may be hardened around the said center byL baking or vulcanizing the saine. yIn the, latter forms it is practically impossible toapply the rubber 'coatingVV to` a.; uniform vdepth around the center sphere, and' as a result therubber coating may be thicker in certain` places than in others. If a ball having rub-V ber applied unevenly around the center or if a rubber center that is not properly vulcanized, is struck or batted, the force o-f the blow may cause the said center to give way, consequently causing the ball to become flattened and cracked out of its true spherical shape.

My invention Ycontemplates a base ball having an adjustable center so constructed and arranged that a moving force might temporarily knock it out of round but it would readily return to its normal spherical shape and'wouldrnot become flattened, even under the most arduousform of play ing, and which will also retain its spherical 95 shape in all atmospheric conditions.

In detail the construction illustrated in the drawings comprises a spherical corel formedof rubber, or other equivalent resilient material. The core is formed of a plurality of complementary sections l and 2 which are so arranged that when the two sections are placed together aperfect sphere is formed. In Figs. l through 3 inclusive the ball core is formed of a sectional center 3 of resilient material having. a coating of elastic material 4 moulded therearound to a uniform depth. In Figs. 4 andv 5 the con-Y struction is modified by f forming the core entirely of rubber 5k, and also the Sections izo In Fig. 6 the core is formed off a plurality of sections S, 9 and 10 all pf which lwhen' assembled form a true sphere. In Fig. 7 the core has a plurality. of connected openings ll passing diametrically therethrough.

'The core, illustrated in anyv of the Figs. 2 through 7 inclusive, has layers of yarn oi' thread l2 wound therearound, and the tension of the winding is regulated to adjust thief-desired rdegree of resiliency of the sectional coreand ball. The thread material 12 visp-laced around the ball to the desired vdiameter after which the whole structure is enclosed i'n a'leatlier or other resilient cover 13 stitched thereon.

base ball Constructed in the manner described is conventional-in all respectsex- `Acept* that thecenter core is formed cfa plurality of sections which may adjust them` selves',l one relative tov the other, to compensate for undue pressures applied thereto. Further-more the construction of the ball center-in `sections permits of expansion and contraction, which is bound to occur by reason of atmospheric conditions, so that the ball will at all times `retain its truespherical shape. My experience with a base ball of this character has, Ydemonstrated that it eliminates the possibility 'of the base ball becoming iattened or the center becoming .cracked Vor otherwise distorted. .The center vcore being itself adjustable'it will always assume its normal spherical condition after being struck a blow and will not continue to remain flattened or cracked as in the case of a solid sphericalcore formed either of rubber or of cork or a combination of dif-V Vter of material having resilient rubber ther'e- L on', said center being dividedinto la. plurality of complementary sections; layers of thread wound upon said center. and an outer cover enclosing said layers of thread.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand at San Francisco,` California, this 26th day of December 1923.

PHILIP B. BEKEART. 

